Empty Homes

Bringing Empty Homes Back into Use

Empty homes are a wasted resource considering the number of people on housing waiting lists and others looking for alternative forms of affordable housing.

Hyndburn Borough Council is seeking your assistance in identifying long term empty homes in the area so that we can offer their owners advice and support to bring them back into use. An empty home is defined as a home that has been empty for six months or longer.

Benefits to the local community include:

Improves the appearance of the neighbourhood

Provide housing for local people in need of a home

Eases the pressure for development on greenfield sites

Increases the value of neighbouring homes

Increases trade for local shops and businesses

Reduces the risk of squatters, vandalism and crime

Benefits to the property owner include:

Peace of mind and additional security

An occupied home in good condition will increase in value

Rental income

Council Tax paid by tenants

What are the options available to property owners?

Hyndburn Borough Council, through its Empty Homes Policy is seeking to help owners find the best way of bringing their properties back into use. The Council’s Empty Property Officer can give advice and support to owners of empty homes regarding the options that are available to them.

Options worth considering include:

Renting out the property through a lettings agent

Renting out the property yourself

Selling the property to a housing association or developer

Repairing/converting the property for occupation

Living in the property yourself

Where negotiations with the owner have been exhausted or broken down the Council has powers to take enforcement action against an owner to carry out repair works. The Council may also consider making an enforced sale or Compulsory Purchase Order – particularly if the property has been vacant for a number of years, or if the property has fallen into serious disrepair.

Hyndburn Borough Council is committed to bringing empty properties back into use by working with other departments in the Council, the public, owners, other landlords and organisations to find ways in which empty homes can be returned to occupation.

If you know of an empty property, we would like to hear from you so that we can help the owners bring them back into use.